Everyone Needs a Guardian
by everfaraway
Summary: Quill told Rhomann Dey he would look after his team. So when one of them is harmed on a mission, Quill does not let it slide. In the aftermath, he is willing to do whatever he can to aid his teammate's recovery. Team as a family with lots of Pocket fluff. Blood, language, past torture & death. T for now
1. Blood for Blood

**_Author: so this tumbled around in my head for a while before I got it  
_****_written down. Some cute Pocket fluff. I own nothing except the guards._**

"I thought you said it was simple... snatch and grab." Gamora said, glaring at Peter.

It had started out simple.

They went in, killed the guards, got the information, gave the storage device to Rocket then headed back the way they came.

"Why give the device to Rocket?" Drax had asked as Rocket secreted it away.

Peter had looked at Rocket then raised an eyebrow at Drax before asking, "Would you try to take it from a gun-toting, mildly psychotic raccoon who builds bombs for fun and can turn just about anything into one?"

Rocket grinned up at Drax, showing a full mouth of very sharp teeth that not even the Destroyer wanted to have sunk into his skin. "Ya wanna try me ya big oaf?" he chuckled.

"No my small furry friend. I do not believe I do." Drax admitted.

Peter had been quite pleased with himself.

The mission had been going better than he had planned in his head (and not 12% of a plan either thank you very much). Or at least it had been, until...

"So I didn't account for a few extra guards." Peter shrugged as Gamora smacked him upside the head.

"Friend Quil I do not believe eight counts as "a few". Perhaps you should consider re-learning to count." Drax said.

Wild laughter erupted from overhead which made Peter cringe and Drax smile.

"Rocket." Gamora groaned.

"Don't go and try to smack me 'round woman. I'll bite back." Rocket warned, still snickering at he dove from the rafters to land on Drax's shoulders.

"Subject 89P13." one of the guards, a Kree unless Gamora missed her guess, chuckled.

"The name's Rocket." Rocket snarled.

"Why did he call you Subject...?" Drax began.

"Shaddup." Rocket snapped, teeth clicking shut dangerously close to the Destroyer's ear before he jumped down to land on the floor.

"They don't know what a little freak you are? About Half-world?" the guard asked, smirking.

"Shut yer FRACKING MOUTH!" Rocket roared, rushing towards the lead guard.

"Rocket!" Quil shouted.

Rocket jumped onto the guard's chest and dug his claws into his shoulder's. There were scars from four deep claw marks on one side of his face, which Rocket realized were his doing. "Oh... it's you." he snarled before sinking his teeth into the crook of the Kree's neck.

"Fracking RODENT!" the Kree guard shouted, tearing Rocket off him. Blue-grey blood poured from his bite wound and Rocket spat a nice sized chunk of flesh onto the floor.

"I should have gone for your jugular." Rocket growled, fighting the urge to curl into a ball.

He hated his animal instincts sometimes... especially when someone had him by the scruff of his neck.

"I will slit your throat and end your pitiful life vermin." the Kree snarled, pressing a knife to Rocket's throat.

Peter wasn't aware of pulling the trigger of one of his Quad Blasters until the laser hit the Kree guard in the leg, forcing him to his knees.

"Let him go." he snarled.

The Kree released Rocket to let him drop roughly and smirked as his knife blade glittered wetly.

Rocket touched his throat and whimpered at the pain. "Pete." he sobbed, holding out his blood covered paw.

"Shit! Rocket, come here!" Peter shouted.

"Kill it!" the Kree guard shouted.

Laser blasts exploded around Rocket as he raced this way and that, scrambling to get to safety.

"Cowards!" Gamora raged, rushing past Rocket to slam her Godslayer into one of the guard's chests.

Drax saw red as Rocket screeched in pain and tumbled through the air to land roughly at Peter's feet.

Two more guards fell to his knives and another was run through with Gamora's Godslayer.

"Rocket." Peter whispered, crouching to gently touch his furry friend.

"Pete." Rocket whined.

His paws hurt.

His throat hurt.

Everything hurt.

And his back... it hadn't hurt this much since Half-World.

"Shh.. shh.. let's wrap you up. Okay?" Peter whispered, sliding out of his jacket and gently setting it on Rocket.

He expected to be scratched or at least hissed at... because... it was Rocket.

But the quivering and bloodly bundle of fur at his feet... in his arms... only leaned into his touch and while it terrified him, it made his heart ache even more.

Rocket gathered the fabric of the jacket against his throat, trying to staunch the blood flow.

It was impossible to guess who was more terrified: him or Peter.

"Shh... it'll be okay. You'll be okay." Peter whispered, peeking at Rocket's back. He gagged and swallowed back bile.

The wound on Rocket's back was mostly confined to the scar tissue but there was definitely alot of muscle damage.

Even worse though... his cybernetics were damaged.

"Peter." Gamora called.

All the other guards where dead, except two.

The one who had shot Rocket.

And the Kree, who Drax had by the hair with a knife pressed against his throat.

Gamora had the shooter on his knees on front of her with the flat of Godslayer against his throat.

"Bleed him. Then turn him around." Peter growled as Rocket wiggled up his chest to bury his face in the crook of his neck.

The shooter gasped when a line of blood appeared at his throat and Gamora none to gently forced him to put his back to Peter.

Rocket's nose twitched beside Peter's ear and he whined.

Drax looked up at Peter, silently asking permission to kill the Kree.

"Not yet." he snarled, aiming his blaster at the guard who had shot Rocket.

Gamora stepped away as the shooter's body convulsed then fell to the floor, back smoking from the laser blast.

"Why do you care so much for that freak?" the Kree spat.

"His name is Rocket. He's a friend, a part of my team and a member of my family. And you, you asshole, signed your death warrant when you hurt him." Peter growled coldly.

Rocket purred softly in his ear despite his pain and Peter jumped when he felt something warm and wet touch his neck... Rocket's tongue.

As Rocket nuzzled him, he saw the lick for what it was: a thank you.

"You're welcome pal." Peter breathed.

"Now?" Drax asked, pulling his attention from Rocket.

"Now." Peter agreed.

Drax didn't need any prompting to slice the Kree's throat and stepped away so not to get any of the blue grey blood on him.

Peter lowered his nose into Rocket's fur so the smell of blood wouldn't make him retch.

He had never intended to be a murderer... to his knowledge he had never killed anyone except Ronan and his flunkies.

But these assholes had deserved it today.

"C'mon. Rocket needs to be taken care of." he said, stepping over fallen bodies to return to the Milano.

"What about the storage device?" Drax asked.

"Shit." Gamora hissed.

They had all forgotten about it.

Rocket shifted a little and slid the storage device from his jumpsuit, pushing it out of the jacket to show Peter.

"You had it all this time?" Peter whispered.

Rocket smiled his toothy grin briefly before closing his eyes and burrowing down into Peter's jacket.


	2. When We Are At Our Worst

**_Author: Holy crap. Sorry about the lack of updates for this story. Been busy  
_****_with 4 Things Rocket Learned. Picks up right where Blood for Blood left off.  
_****_Maybe not for the weak of heart or stomach. I own nobody. Time for bed. R&R_**

_Stuff going on in people's heads._

"Peter!? Why do you not have any sedatives?!" Gamora shouted.

"Sorry but I don't usually plan to use my table as place to perform surgery!" Peter shouted back.

He couldn't think, couldn't concentrate not when images of his mom laying in a hospital bed over twenty years ago and now Rocket sitting on his table with a slit throat and blaster wound right in the middle of his back threatened to over well him.

He had told Dey he'd look after his group of misfits and yet...

"Friends! Stop your bickering!" Drax snapped, stopping Gamora's ongoing rant (which he himself had stop listening to).

"No... no... sed... a... tive." Rocket choked out as he tugged at the front of his jumpsuit in distress.

"What?" Peter asked.

"He doe not approve of your talk of sedating him." Drax said.

"Unfortunately we don't have any sedatives to use." Gamora said, shooting a glare at Peter.

"I never needed them." Peter grumbled.

The adrenaline had worn off and while he was worried about Rocket, Gamora yelling at him had only managed to annoy him. So all he really wanted was to go listen to his Walkman until they go to Xandar... the rest of them be damned.

_"But you won't do that because Rocket needs you right now. He'll never say it but he didn't put up a fight when you held him or carried him. And he'd got more fight than Drax." _Peter thought.

"Let me see your throat Rocket and do not speak." Gamora said.

Rocket lifted his head slowly and leaned against Drax for support. The pain of his injuries and the blood loss had left him weak... and he hated it... he hated it even more than he hated the scientists who had created him.

Gamora parted the fur of Rocket's throat as gently as she could, cleaning away blood as she did. As bad as it looked, she was relieved when she saw that while long, the wound was not deep.

"It missed your major veins. I doubt it it deep enough to have damaged your vocal cords." she told him.

"You gonna stitch him up now?" Peter asked.

"Yes... then I will see what I can do for his back." Gamora sighed.

Peter had wiped Rocket's back down with a cold rag after they had gotten back to the Milano and covered the wound with gauze.

He hadn't done more than that because he hadn't had the heart to cause Rocket anymore pain.

That and he had a very limited knowledge of how to treat injuries.

Yondu, despite being the asshole he was, had taken care of him as a child if he was hurt or sick. He had been fifteen when Yondu and Kraglin had both starting teaching him how to treat his injuries or illnesses.

But he didn't get sick often and his injuries had always been slight, especially in comparison to Rocket's injuries.

Which was why Gamora taking care of him now.

"Rocket... I promise I will not make this hurt anymore than neccesary." the woman whispered, gently stroking his furry cheek.

Rocket glanced past her to Peter who nodded. This was Gamora... she wouldn't intentionally hurt him.

At Rocket's nod, Drax slid a massive arm around his tiny waist to hold him still while Gamora threads a needle. Rocket whined softly and squeezed his eyes shut in terror.

"It's alright. You are safe." Drax whispered, holding his head up with one hand to give Gamora a good view of the wound.

"Rocket."

The injuried Guardian's eyes snapped open and he looked past Gamora to Peter who met his gaze and held it. There was something in the half Terran's grey-green eyes that wouldn't let him look away.

"Stay still." Gamora whispered as Rocket felt the needle pierce his skin. The topical anesthetic she had applied was helping but it still hurt. He kept his jumpsuit between his paws, digging claws into the fabric when it hurt the worst because he doubted Gamora would appreciate him clawing up her arm. But his eyes never left Peter's... not even for a second.

"Do not remove this."

Rocket finally pulled his gaze from Peter's and touched the gauze wrapped around his neck to hold the bandage in place.

"You want me to start on his back?" Peter asked Gamora.

"That will be helpful yes." she said, going to wash her hands.

"Take it easy pal... we're partway done." Peter whispered, cutting away the top of Rocket's jumpsuit carefully.

Rocket grabbed Peter's hand in his paw and squeezed it tightly, thanking him in silence because he hurt too much to talk.

Peter squeezed Rocket's paw gently as he removed the gauze to reveal the wound. "Umm... Gamora." he called.

Drax glanced at the wound and grimaced, stroking Rocket's fur gently before assuring him: "You do not wish to see."

Gamora reappeared at Peter's side and they exchanged a long look.

The wound had not looked this bad when Peter had cleaned it earlier. It was an angry red and still bleeding.

If Gamora didn't know better (and she hoped she did) she would have thought the wound was already infected.

"Hurts..." Rocket sobbed.

"It's gonna hurt worse buddy. Gamora's gotta clean you up properly so it doesn't get infected by the time we get to Xandar." Peter told him.

"Rocket... lay down on your stomach please. Drax hold him down... gently." Gamora sighed as Peter moved from her side.

"Hey buddy. Look at me okay. Just like when she was taking care of your throat." Peter said, crouching down so that he and Rocket were eye to eye.

"Hurts." he whined as he laid down as Gamora had asked.

"I know." Peter whispered, rubbing his ears gently as he looked up at Gamora and Drax.

They had no idea how bad the muscle damage was.

But the implant on Rocket's right shoulder was completely destroyed as was the tiny one several inches below it. The main implant in the middle of his back was damaged as well.

"Groot." Rocket whimpered, glancing around the room.

"Let me go get him." Peter said.

Groot was easy to find, hanging out in the kitchen but looking as worried as the rest of them. He let out a little cry of fear when he saw Rocket laid out on the table.

Peter settled back down in front of Rocket and let Groot stroke Rocket's whiskers for a moment. "Peter." Gamora said.

"Okay pal... gotta set you down." Peter said, placing Groot on the floor and holding one of his gloves out to Rocket who sniffed it before sinking his teeth into it.

Drax rested one hand on Rocket's waist and gathered his back legs and tail in his other hand just in case the mammal thrashed.

Peter grabbed Rocket's front paws in one hand and gently grabbed the scruff of his neck with the other.

"I'm sorry." Gamora whispered, gently touching the rubbing alcohol soaked rag to Rocket's back.

The first scream made Groot wail in terror. Drax squeezed his eyes shut as Peter turned his head away as the smell of rubbing alcohol invaded his nose and threatened to drag memories that were best left buried to the surface.

_Momma couldn't leave the hospital.  
_

_Cancer, Gramps called it._

_It could be treated... but not in Momma._

_So she had to stay in the hospital._

_He didn't like the hospital... it smelled funny. _

_Smelled... too clean._

_Cleaner than Gran and Gramps house at Christmas when the family would get together to visit._

Peter's eyes snapped open at the taste of salt and iron in his mouth... blood... his blood.

Rocket was still screaming as Gamora tended to his back.

In terror brought on by flashbacks?

In pain from his injury?

Peter was willing to bet both.

"Stay with us... me... I... We... can't lose you." he whispered, rubbing Rocket's ears with his free hand.

_Pain! He's in pain again! _

_Why?!_

_Oh shit... Not again!_

_He screams as loud as his lungs will allow but it comes out muffled and hurts his throat._

_They had gagged him... that's different._

_And instead of straps... it's hands holding him down._

_And there's a hand on his ears... petting him... the good kind of petting... the one that makes him feel warm and cared about._

_He knows the hands petting him... Peter._

_And the metal and sweat smell that was hiding under the smell of rubbing alcohol, gauze and bandages... Drax._

_The smell of soil, flowers and ozone... Groot._

_But where is Gamora... oh... she's working on his back._

_Then Drax's hands disappear and so do Gamora's... only to be replaced with something soft and warm... a blanket._

_But Peter's hands don't leave his ears and a second hand, very tiny and smelling like flowers, touches his whiskers._

_Groot... Someone put Groot on the table to let him be near him._

_He's so tired... maybe a nap won't hurt._

Peter watched as Rocket's nose twitched and he smiled in his sleep.

"Peter?" Drax asked.

"He's okay... I think he passed out from exhaustion and pain. But he seems... at peace." Peter whispered, still petting Rocket.

At peace... odd words to describe Rocket but right now... they fit him.

"The ship is on autopilot with a course set to Xandar." Drax said.

"Thanks. I'm gonna stay here... to keep an eye on Rocket. Gamora, if you wanna go use my shower to clean up, feel free." Peter told them.

"Do not forget to call Nova ahead of time to have a medical team waiting when we arrive." Gamora said, ruffling his hair gently as she passed him.

"I won't." Peter assured her.


	3. Author's Note

_**Hey everybody. Just wanting to say I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. I was busy working on my other GotG story: 4 Things Rocket Learned. And after having finished that one, I was gonna talk a little bit of time to let my mind relax & get the creative juices churning again.**_

_**Then my boss decided to go on vacation & one of my co-workers decided to quit in the same week, so I've been working a lot & haven't had hardly any time to do much of anything.**_

_**With some luck I'll have some time to write this coming week... even with my man flying home for a week.**_

_**If not definitely look for some new stuff after Halloween.**_

_**-Rain**_


	4. Pain Past & Present

**_Author: It's been so long & I'm sorry I haven't posted anything. Been busy lately.  
_****_Anyways get ready for lots of D'awwwws! Cookies to those who get where I got the  
_****_names Yaone & Lirin from. R&R. Nobody is mine... I just love them so very much._**

None of them liked hospitals.

Drax said they were too clean.

Gamora said the doctors reminded her of the scientists who modified her under thanos's orders.

If Rocket was awake he would probably feel the same way.

Peter could still hear the heart monitor flatlining in his mother's room, screeching away in the back of his mind.

"Hey Star-Prince."

"It's Starlord Dey." Peter whispered, not bothering to look up at the Nova corpsman.

"Rocket's still in surgery?" Dey guessed.

"Yeah... Going on a few hours now." Peter muttered.

Four hours and seventeen minutes to be exact... Not that he was counting.

"Peter... Why don't you go outside? Get some fresh air and stretch your legs." Dey suggested.

"Someone has to be here when the doctors come out."

"I will. Go outside Peter Quill."

Peter blinked up at Nova prime and groaned softly.

"I'll have my com on... Call if you hear anything at all." He begged.

"Of course." Nova prime assured him gently.

Dey led Peter out to the courtyard where they found Drax sitting with a little brown haired Krylorian girl in his lap.

"Papa!" The little girl called, waving at them.

"Your daughter?" Peter asked.

"Lirin. Her mother Yaone is over with Gamora." Dey said, nodding to where the female Guardian sat on a bench besides a woman who the little girl clearly got her looks from.

"Hello Peter." Drax greeted him.

"Having fun?" Peter chuckled.

Drax gave him a rare smile and returned his attention to the little girl in his lap.

"Peter. Rocket?" Gamora asked, coming over to greet him.

"Still in surgery. Nova Prime is waiting for news." Peter told her.

Groot made a long sound that doubled as a whine and Lirin hugged the pot gently.

"I'm surprised he's so good with her." Dey muttered, nodding to Drax and Lirin.

"He was a father once... Before Ronan killed his family." Gamora whispered.

"I wondered." Yaone whispered, sliding an arm around her husband's waist.

"Come. Sit." Gamora told Peter.

They all settled down in the lawn, listening to Lirin read a kid's book aloud to Drax and Groot.

"Peter? Peter! Wake up!"

Peter jerked awake and sat up, confused and dazed.

"What?" He groaned.

"Rocket is out of surgery and going to the Intensive Care Wing." Gamora said.

"Son of... How long was I asleep?" Peter asked, biting his tongue at Dey's warning look.

"About an hour. Come." Gamora told him, already headed for the building.

Drax handed Lirin to her mother and grabbed Groot before rushing after Peter and Gamora.

"You didn't answer your com Peter Quill." Nova prime chided him.

"I was asleep." He pouted.

"Is Rocket awake? May we see him?" Gamora demanded.

"Not yet but yes you may see him. Follow me." The Xanderian doctor told them.

Rocket looked smaller than ever resting on his stomach on a bed that could easily hold Drax.

Peter blanched at the sight of all the tubes and wires connected to Rocket.

"Will he recover?" Drax whispered.

"In time. But we were unable to fully repair the external implants on his back. And without complete knowledge of all of his modifications and implants, we are unsure just how much damage was caused by the laser blast." The doctor told them.

"And the wound to his throat?" Drax asked.

"That will heal. The stitching was well done."

Gamora nodded and turned to take Groot from Dey.

"May we stay with him?" She whispered.

"As long as you like." The doctor told them.

Peter took Groot from Gamora and stepped into the room cautiously.

_"Take my hand Peter."_

"Peter." Nova prime called gently.

"Im okay. Just a little uneasy." He admitted, sitting down in the chair beside the bed.

Rocket was breathing slowly and twitching slightly on the bed.

"Why does he twitch?" Drax asked.

"His internal circuitry is damaged. We believe that some of the circuitry is connected to his muscles. We will not know the full extent of the muscle damage until he awakens." The doctor explained.

Groot whined and reached for Rocket, stroking his friends fur with tiny vines.

"He'll be okay pal. Rocket's a tough little son of a bitch." Peter said.

"You said a bad word."

"Yes he did Lirin." Dey chuckled.

Peter, Drax and Gamora all smirked and Peter blushed a little.

"Can I curl up with their friend?" Lirin asked.

"As long as you are careful not to hurt him." Dey whispered, picking her up and setting her on the bed.

Drax watched with soft eyes as the little girl curled up beside Rocket and gently touched his nose.

Groot giggled as Rocket's nose twitched and the furry guardian brought a paw up to rub his nose.

"Ummmm... Let me alone." Rocket grumbled, cracking his eyes open.

"Hi." Lirin piped up.

"Whose kid?" Rocket murmured.

"Mine." Dey chuckled.

"Hey pal." Peter whispered, rubbing one of Rocket's ears.

"Where?" Rocket asked, glancing around carefully.

His nose twitched and he realized what the sterile smell that was bothering him meant...

He was in a hospital.

"No... Let me out." He whined.

"Rocket. It's alright. You are safe. No one here will harm you. We will not allow it." Gamora said, reaching past Peter to touch Rocket's face gently.

"Why..." He began then it all came rushing back.

That fucking Kree guard who he escaped from on Halfworld... He had slit his throat... Not too deeply though.

Then someone else had shot him... In the back...

"Implants?" He whimpered.

"The doctors did what they could for the external implants but they have limited knowledge of your internal modifications." Gamora told him.

Rocket shivered and pressed close to the nearest hand... Peter's.

"It's okay buddy... We'll get through this." Peter whispered as Rocket hugged Groot's pot tightly.

"Hurt... Tired... Take kid away." He whimpered.

"Come Lirin. Rocket wishes to rest." Drax said gently.

"Bye bye Mr. Rocket. I hope you feel better." The little girl said, kissing Rocket's furry head before letting Drax pick her up.

Gamora set a hand gently on Drax's back as he handed the little girl to her mother.

"If you need anything... Anything at all.. Tell the doctor and they will pass word to Corpsman Dey or myself." Nova Prime told them before she and Dey left the Guardians alone in the Rocket.

Groot whined up at Drax and held out a tiny vine for the Destroyer who stood behind Peter and let the vine wrap around his wrist.

"Your kid?" Rocket asked.

"Yes... My Camaria." Drax whispered.

"We all have dead people... Remember them fondly." Gamora told him.


End file.
